Why extroverts earn more money than introverts

When you look at the average salaries of different personality
types, one overarching theme emerges: Extroverts tend to earn more than
introverts.

In a report on career achievement and personality type,
Truity Psychometrics found that extroverts
dominate the high-earning end of the spectrum. The
two top-earning personality types are ESTJ (which stands for
Extroverted Sensing Thinking Judging) and ENTJ (Extroverted
Intuitive Thinking Judging). They make average annual salaries of
$77,000 and $76,000, respectively.

The report suggests extroverts typically earn more because
they're more likely to take on higher-paying managerial roles. On
average, it says, extroverts supervise 4.5 people at work, while
introverts supervise 2.8.

Psychologists typically define extroverts as people who
derive energy from social interactions, while introverts gain
more energy from periods of quiet reflection.

"Extroverts are routinely chosen for leadership positions and
introverts are looked over, even though introverts often deliver
better outcomes," Cain tells Business Insider. "They're not
perceived as leadership material."

In her book, Cain explains that introverts are typically more
skilled than extroverts in situations where they have to manage a
group of initiative-takers. That's because introverts make time
to listen to other people's suggestions. The problem is that most
people assume extroverts will be more effective leaders
simply because they're more talkative — and therefore don't
always consider introverts for high-paying top
positions.

Cain also suggests that introverts earn less because they tend to
be less driven by financial rewards like a high salary. Instead,
she says they're generally attracted to jobs that provide them
with a deeper sense of meaning — like research positions and
careers in the arts.

None of these ideas imply that introverts can't take actions to
advance their career or boost their earning power. If you're an
introvert who wants to manage people but isn't getting tapped for
those lucrative leadership roles, Cain suggests sitting down with
your boss to discuss where you want to be in your career.

"Your boss may have no idea
that that's what you want," she says.

It's also important to draw attention to your contributions in
ways that feel natural. Many introverts find the prospect of
self-promoting "distasteful," Cain says. Instead, they can share
articles or give presentations to colleagues to highlight what
they've been working on.

In some cases, however, introverts may find their careers have
stagnated simply because they don't want to get promoted
to management.If that's you, it may be time to reassess
whether you're working at the right company and even in the right
career. If you'd like to stay at your current organization, is
there a
different path to advancement you can take?

Of course, making the decision to eschew a promotion and salary
bump or even switch fields is no easy feat.

"There's so much pressure to be the one who's in charge of
everyone," Cain says. "It takes self-awareness and personal
integrity to live life on the terms you want to live it
on."

As for the future, Cain suspects that the bias toward extroverts
in the workplace (and the income disparity between extroverts and
introverts) will gradually disappear as more people learn what
introverts have to offer.

"The hunger for and receptivity to these ideas is profound," she
says.